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inulroWe got back from our week on the Algarve late last night.
It was surprisingly lovely. I've never much liked the idea of sun, sand and surf vacations, especially not somewhere perennially over-run by northern Europeans. I guess that was before I was as sun-starved and perpetually exhausted as I perennially am now. The beaches and the countryside were beautiful, and the sun was just fantastic. I acclimatised to it very quickly - the first few days I had to wear my sunglasses all the time, but was fine without them for the last half of the week. Oh, and the food was fantastic. My parents were even reasonably well behaved.
I'm very glad we went when we did - the English & Germans haven't quite completely spoiled the place, but it's going to have lost all its charm soon. Everywhere you look more holiday villas are springing up like mushrooms (the second biggest industry in the region is construction). Second homes there are no longer cheap, and even run-down farmhouses inland are going for Stupid Money. I had brief vague leanings towards wanting to become a Portuguese subsistence farmer. No dice.
I can certainly see why northerners flock there in droves - it's lovely, yet it rarely gets too hot. That doesn't excuse what they're doing to the place. The golf courses alone are an ecological travesty in such an arid region. Then there's the English and Irish restaurants and pubs all over the place. I wanted to at least try to use the Portuguese I've failed to learn over the last six months, but I didn't get a chance.
Although I was still subject to the occasional need to sleep at stupid times, I've just gone a week without any joint or bone pain. This is more exciting than I can describe. If it weren't for the fact that employment opportunities there entirely revolve around working in/for the expat community, I'd be seriously reconsidering my plans to move to Canada. Rigorous application of Factor 20 and a silly hat means that I've come back without the requisite sunburn (you should have seen some of the lobsters on the plane last night) despite spending a considerable part of the days wandering around outside. Oh, and I was able to drink alcohol without anything bad happening, also a novel occurrence.
The sun even came out for a while this afternoon, so I'm feeling less down about being back than I did first thing this morning. Bunnies, wee hamsters etc. are all doing well.
It was surprisingly lovely. I've never much liked the idea of sun, sand and surf vacations, especially not somewhere perennially over-run by northern Europeans. I guess that was before I was as sun-starved and perpetually exhausted as I perennially am now. The beaches and the countryside were beautiful, and the sun was just fantastic. I acclimatised to it very quickly - the first few days I had to wear my sunglasses all the time, but was fine without them for the last half of the week. Oh, and the food was fantastic. My parents were even reasonably well behaved.
I'm very glad we went when we did - the English & Germans haven't quite completely spoiled the place, but it's going to have lost all its charm soon. Everywhere you look more holiday villas are springing up like mushrooms (the second biggest industry in the region is construction). Second homes there are no longer cheap, and even run-down farmhouses inland are going for Stupid Money. I had brief vague leanings towards wanting to become a Portuguese subsistence farmer. No dice.
I can certainly see why northerners flock there in droves - it's lovely, yet it rarely gets too hot. That doesn't excuse what they're doing to the place. The golf courses alone are an ecological travesty in such an arid region. Then there's the English and Irish restaurants and pubs all over the place. I wanted to at least try to use the Portuguese I've failed to learn over the last six months, but I didn't get a chance.
Although I was still subject to the occasional need to sleep at stupid times, I've just gone a week without any joint or bone pain. This is more exciting than I can describe. If it weren't for the fact that employment opportunities there entirely revolve around working in/for the expat community, I'd be seriously reconsidering my plans to move to Canada. Rigorous application of Factor 20 and a silly hat means that I've come back without the requisite sunburn (you should have seen some of the lobsters on the plane last night) despite spending a considerable part of the days wandering around outside. Oh, and I was able to drink alcohol without anything bad happening, also a novel occurrence.
The sun even came out for a while this afternoon, so I'm feeling less down about being back than I did first thing this morning. Bunnies, wee hamsters etc. are all doing well.
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no subject
Date: 2004-04-11 11:46 am (UTC)Maybe you should consider moving there if your body liked it so much.
Let me know when it's a good time for Charlotte to try on your shoes/boots.
no subject
Date: 2004-04-11 12:22 pm (UTC)I'll let you know on Tuesday how my week is likely to pan out - I won't know how busy I'm going to be until I get back to work and see how the workload looks.